Interview with Ewa Kalemba, Export Director at MIESZKO S.A.

How do you perceive year 2016 for Mieszko? Could you please reveal the most important moments for the company for this year?

2016 was a year of changes for Mieszko. We decreased our products offer by 30%, focusing only on the key brands and simplifying the processes, which should allow us to launch new, innovative products in the nearest future. Additionally we are building a modern warehouse in Gliwice, which will improve our customer service both in Poland and abroad.

Despite many challenges we are reaching the sales increase of our branded products.

Which international markets are more open to polish sweets? Which products from Mieszko porfolio are most popular among foreign Consumers?

Thanks to the wide variety of chocolate pralines, candies and wafers, we are able to meet the expectations of all our Partners. The diversity of Mieszko products definitely strengthen our competitive position. Being the leader in the category of cherries in liqueur in Poland helps us to place our Cherrissimo brand on the shelves in the Central and Eastern part of Europe. Mieszko is an expert in chocolate presents, therefore our offer of chocolate boxes has strong brands on the markets.

Amoretta, Chocoladorro and Magnifique are Our most popular brands, which found many enthusiasts in various parts of the world and keep the bestselling position for many years. We also pay special attention to our Polish Consumers living in Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, USA and Canada, who have been faithful to such brands as Michaszki, Marcepan, Trufle, Krówki and Eukaliptus for decades.We pay special attention during the process of designing the products to comply with the standards applicable in a given country - we are convinced that the taste, quality of ingredients, attractiveness of the packaging, which helps to express emotions, have to go along with Consumer products safety assurance. The combination of those parameters guarantee complete success.

What are the goals the company plans to achieve in the next few years?

Mieszko products are reaching Consumers in over 60 countries - on all continents. We are proud that our recipes meet the consumers' expectations all over the world, although we are all aware that the taste of sweets differs depending on the location. What we share are the tendencies in the food market industry which aim at finding natural ingredients. We are constantly working on the improvement of the recipes by selecting the highest quality of the raw materials. A measure of success in not only a good quality in competitive price but also innovativeness, which is constantly developed by our Research and Development Department.

We have defined the strategies adjusted to a given region and we are entering the new markets consequently. What is important to us is not only the presence on the market but also the brand awareness. The process is complicated and requires considerable investments. We understand that despite there is a common denominator for quality and origin of ingredients almost everywhere in the world, the justification of purchasing and the purchasing power could differs considerably.

What we believe as our competitive advantage is over 20-years of experience in export, which enables us to offer complex and professional customers service all Over the World. Long lasting cooperation with international chain stores based also on private label projects encourages us to apply for bigger and more complicated projects.

What are the new products developments plans for 2017?

Consequently we will continue our strategy in 2017 and our offer will be developed towards “bringing Mieszko to everyday consumption”. We will definitely not forget about special occasions, which are the key moments for our business. Being assured that life is worth tasting, we hope our Consumers will be delighted by what Mieszko is planning to offer in 2017.